This morning, I flipped to Isaiah 22–23—pages in my Bible that had never been marked, which is rare for me. And as soon as my eyes landed on the words, “You saw the breaches in the wall…” something in my spirit stirred. Breaches. Blind spots. Exposed places. The kinds of openings in jiu-jitsu that an opponent takes instantly.

Isaiah 22 is a picture of vulnerability—cracks in the defenses, unseen angles, places where we try to fix things ourselves. But the Spirit whispered, “Daughter, you do not guard your own back. I do.” Then chapter 23 shifts the tone completely. From judgment to sovereignty. From exposure to restoration. It is Yahweh saying:
“I see the openings. I see the places you cannot protect. And I will be the One who stands behind you.”
Not an accident.
Not a coincidence.
A setup.

Later, the Lord gave me a song—“Stay” by Zahriya Zachary—and as soon as I heard it, I felt the seatbelt.
That secure, unbreakable hold in jiu-jitsu when someone takes the back with intention, with closeness, with stability. The moment the song said, “If my head’s on Your chest, I can hear Your heartbeat,” it felt like the exact pressure of an arm across the shoulder. Then “If my hand’s in Your hand,” felt like the underhook that completes the seatbelt.
The whole song is a spiritual rear-mount revelation:
He closes the space between us He breathes life into me He anchors me He guides my movement He knows my soul He holds me with no holding back
This is the ultimate jiu-jitsu metaphor:
Jesus has my back.
And not loosely.
Not casually.
Not “spiritually symbolic.”
But in the most real, embodied way—like an instructor settling behind you to protect, to steady, to teach.
In jiu-jitsu, the back is the power position.
It is the safest place for you and the most dangerous place for whatever opposes you.
It is control, guidance, protection, and presence.
It is where the breath is felt most closely.
It is where trust is necessary and surrender is holy.
And today, the Lord gave me a picture of Himself taking my back with a perfect seatbelt grip—an embrace that says:
“I see every breach. I know every blind spot. You don’t have to defend what you can’t see.
Stay close to Me. Stay tethered.
Let My heartbeat steady you. Let My breath fill your lungs. I’ve got you.”
Isaiah 22 exposed the walls.
Isaiah 23 showed the restoration.
And the song “Stay” wrapped it all in the reminder:
“This is the gift of My great love—so stay.”
Stay close.
Stay tethered.
Stay held.
Stay in the position where He guides your movement and guards every unseen angle.
I love that my Savior has such a sense of humor.
He knew exactly how to speak to me today—
in the language of breath,
the language of the mat,
the language of intimacy,
the language of grappling,
the language of a daughter learning a new art and a new obedience.
Jesus has my back.
And because He does, I will stay.
Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for ONJJ. Please use Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness for YOUR GLORY.
















